252 NATURAL SCIENCE. Oct.. 1895. 



be noticed a nearly complete mounted skeleton of the former hippo- 

 potamus of Madagascar, Hippopotamus lemovlei, which betrays perhaps 

 more than any other known object the ancient connection of 

 Madagascar with the African Continent. Splendid specimens of the 

 extinct gigantic tortoises, Testudo gvandidieri and Testudo abrupta, are 

 likewise shown, and numerous other fossils. A large series of the 

 remains of the Aepyornithes — the extinct ratite birds of Madagascar, 

 and several of their enormous eggs attract our attention. Diagrams 

 of the restored skeletons of two species of these gigantic creatures 

 show us that Aepyovnis ingens must have been about nine feet high, and 

 Ae. imilleri about six feet. But we believe these species were not quite 

 the largest of this wonderful Order of birds. It appears that the bones 

 of the Aepyornithes are mostly found in the interior, while the eggs 

 are dug up in the sands of the seashore. This would seem to 

 indicate that these birds, like some of the Megapodes, resorted to the 

 seashore to lay their eggs, and probably left them to be hatched out 

 in the hot sand. This theory will perhaps account for the eggs being 

 so much larger in proportionate size than those of any other known 

 birds. It was advisable that the chick, deprived of parental care, 

 should come to a full degree of development before it issued from the 

 egg-shell. 



Besides the objects that have been particularly noticed there will 

 be found in this exhibition sets of plants, native costumes, numbers of 

 photographs of the various tribes of Madagascar and of its scenery, 

 and a large selection of plates and drawings taken from Mr. Grandi- 

 dier's great work. No naturalist who goes to Paris should fail to 

 pay a visit to the " Exposition de Madagascar." 



P. L. SCLATER. 



